A man was seen leaving her home around the time of the 1976 crime, but her killer was not found

Receive the latest national-international updates in your inbox

In a case cracked through the use of "familial" DNA, Los Angles County law enforcement officials Monday identified a man believed to have committed the 1976 murder of Karen Klaas, ex-wife of singer-songwriter Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers.

Klaas, 32, was allegedly killed by Kenneth Troyer, sheriff's officials said. Troyer, who allegedly committed a number of sexual assaults and robberies, was fatally shot by law enforcement authorities in Orange County in March of 1982.

Kenneth Eugene Troyer
Photo credit: Handout

The familial DNA technique allows investigators to search law enforcement databases to identify likely relatives of the person who may have committed the crime.

A sheriff's detective said a "first-degree relative" was the source of the DNA sample — collected six years ago — that led to the identification of Troyer. Examples of a first-degree relative include a father or daughter.

LA County Sheriff Jim McDonnell said the case demonstrates the "bulldog" nature of homicide detectives who refused to give up on the case, even after an initial familial DNA search in 2011 failed to turn up any possible suspects. Detectives requested another search in 2016, which led to Troyer, he said.

"The familial DNA search is the only reason Troyer was identified in this horrific crime," McDonnell said.